Plurality Approve of Fed Response to Saudi Arabia

Toronto, August
13th, 2018 – In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The
Forum Poll™ among 1777 Canadian voters, more than 4 in 10 (TOP2: 44%) say they
approve of the Federal Government’s response to the dispute with Saudi Arabia,
with a quarter (22%) saying they approve strongly.

Respondents most likely to approve (TOP2) include, those aged 35 to 44
(55%), females (47%), those earning $60,000 to $80,000 (63%), with a
post-graduate degree (51%), and those living in Atlantic Canada (52%), Quebec
(51%), and British Columbia (50%).

Respondents
supporting the progressive spectrum of political parties are far likelier than
the average to approve of the Federal response with almost two-thirds of
Liberal (TOP2: 63%) and Green (TOP2: 62%), and more than half (55%) of NDP
supporters approving.

Fewer than a
third (BTM2: 29%) say they disapprove of the Federal Government’s response to
Saudi Arabia, with one-fifth (21%) saying they disapprove strongly.

Respondents most likely to disapprove (BTM2) include those aged 45 to 54
(41%), males (33%), those earning $80,000 to 10,000 (36%) and the least wealthy
(33%), respondents with some college or university education (34%), with a
post-graduate degree (31%), Albertans (55%), and supporting the Conservatives
(55%).

A confident awareness of the crisis

A majority of respondents (TOP2: 59%) say that they can describe the
current dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia. Respondents who can describe
the conflict include those aged 35 to 44 (66%), males (68%), the wealthiest
(79%), with a post-graduate degree (73%), and Albertans (73%), and supporting
the Liberals (68%).

A majority of respondents who can “confidently” describe the current
dispute (92%) approve of the Federal Government’s response to the dispute with
Saudi Arabia.

Respondents who cannot describe the current dispute between Canada and
Saudi Arabia (BTM2: 41%) include those aged 34 and younger (46%), females
(50%), the least wealthy (76%), those with secondary school or less (59%),
those living in Atlantic Canada (55%), and those voting Green (51%) and Bloc
Québécois (51%).

Majority concerned about the effect of the dispute on Canada

More than half (TOP2: 54%) say they are concerned with the dispute’s
effect on Canada. Respondents who are concerned include those aged 45 to 54
(64%), and those aged 55 to 64 (63%), those earning $40,000 to $60,000 (66%),
those with some college and university education (68%), Ontarians (65%), and
Conservatives (66%).

Those that are not concerned with the dispute’s effect on Canada include
those aged 35 to 44 (55%), the least wealthy (62%), those with college or
university degrees (49%) and post-graduate degrees (51%), those living in Quebec
(64%), and those voting Bloc Québécois (68%).

A Conservative Summer

The PC has maintained its lead over the other parties throughout the
summer. Four in ten Canadian voters would vote Conservative (42%). About
one-third would vote Liberal (36%) and one-sixth would vote NDP (15%).

Respondents who identify with the Conservative Party include those aged
35 to 44 (44%) and those 65 and over (44%), males (50%), the wealthiest (51%)
and those earning $80,000 to $100,000 (48%), and Albertans (79%).

Respondents who identify with the Liberal Party include those aged 55 to
64 (45%), females (40%), those earning $20,000 to $40,000 (39%) and the least
wealthy (39%), with a post-graduate degree (48%), and living in Québec (53%).

Respondents who identify with the NDP include the 34 and younger (28%),
females (19%), those earning $60,000 to $80,000 (24%), and British Columbians
(22%).

Justin Trudeau’s approval rating grew from May 22nd, 2018.
His net favourable score was -21 in May, the change in the score largely due to
an increase in approval.

Andrew Scheer sees approval from a quarter (25%) and disapproval from a
third (30%). Almost a fourth of respondents say they do not know (37%). His net
favourable score (approve minus disapprove) is -5. Scheer’s approval has
remained virtually the same since May 22nd (net favourable score of
-3).

Jagmeet Singh sees approval from a quarter (24%) and disapproval from a
third (34%). A further third say they do not know (34%). His sent favourable
score is -10. Singh’s approval has remained the same since May 22nd
where he saw a net favourable score of -8.

“The Prime Minister’s stance on Saudi
Arabia sees approval from Canada’s progressive parties, with big numbers of
Liberal, NDP, and Green voters approving,” said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff. “These are
exactly the kinds of voters Justin Trudeau will need in the face of a
strengthening Conservative party under Andrew Scheer.”

Lorne Bozinoff,
Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at
lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.